For a healthy & natural household
Also read: Bathroom Cleaning and Hallway & Doggies !
Always with raw materials that we can easily find in our pantry and accompany them with our very effective formulas with essential oils.
For example :
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Black or dish soap
- Castile or Marseille soap
- Lemon
- Essential oils
- Purifying Formula
- Washing Formula
- The Purifier
The Purifying Formula is a concentrate (antibacterial and antifungal) which disinfects on contact, to be used everywhere for our household:
We can add it to the wash water; on our washcloth for dusting; on a sponge for dishes; pour it directly into the toilet bowl; in the dishwasher; the trash can; to clean children's toys; a few drops in a spray bottle (half water - half vinegar) as an all-purpose cleaner, for mirrors and windows; in my bucket of soapy water to wash the floors; to disinfect surfaces; in a diffuser for a clean smell because it is a good atmospheric antiseptic. A few drops in our dishwashing tub and to soak the dishcloths in it, to remove mold and even spray it on bath towels for the same reason.
For the proportion : 6-7 drops would be appropriate for 3 liters of water in a boiler, for a 4 liter: 12 drops. And since essential oils float on water, it is therefore necessary to add a washing product which will make the essential oils soluble in water, you can therefore use it with a dish soap or similar washing product (ecological if possible).
Other uses for the Purifying Formula : in the dishwasher, trash can, dish sponge, children's toys.
Here's how Louise uses the Purifying Formula :
"For my shower doors, I simply put drops of the purifier on my very damp sponge, I rub and wipe and it really does the job. For the chrome, a small dry cloth with one or two drops directly on the dry towel and I go over the chrome, then I wipe with the side that hasn't put oil and WoW my chrome has never been so beautiful. For my sinks, drops directly in the sink and I add a small drop of soap, I rub it, rinse and wipe. Really, this little product is fantastic."
For countertops and surfaces : A few drops of lemon essential oil in soapy water with neutral Castile or peppermint or citrus soap can also do the job.
Stainless steel is cleaned with a mixture of white vinegar and water placed in a spray bottle.
The windows will be very clean and shiny with a solution of white vinegar and water.
To make the window frames shine : a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice will do the trick.
To scrub sinks and all surfaces without scratching : baking soda is very effective.
For express bathroom cleaning : Room fragrance sprayed on the surfaces to be sanitized and Purifying formula, a few drops in the toilet).
And for wardrobes : Cold and flu solution on small pieces of cotton.
The Purifier or Room Fragrance in boots, gloves, sports bags, equipment.
Other uses of the Purifier : on bed sheets, bathroom towels, entrance mats.
In home essentials : Hand soap , Body soap (bar or gel), Shampoo .
Nathalie's cleaning recipe : 300 ml water + 180 ml white vinegar + 90 ml dish soap + 30 ml purifying formula , i.e. a bottle of this highly suitable essential oil concentrate.
For washing : Alexandra Marc's mother's recipe * , which you can perfume with the Washing Formula or your favorite essential oil. You can add a drop of essential oil to the rinsing water, the towels and clothes will smell so good!
And don't forget Mon Détachant soap to remove stains from clothes.
The Washing Formula , mainly composed of lavender and lemon, will naturally perfume your clothes, sheets and fabrics. The essential oils contained in this formula also have antiseptic properties on fabrics (e.g.: bath sheets, washcloths, dishcloths, washable diapers, etc.).
5 to 10 drops are enough depending on the volume of clothes to be washed.
Best used with unscented laundry soap or in your homemade soap.
This formula does not replace laundry soap, it complements it.
*Homemade laundry detergent recipe from Alexandra Marc's mother :
- Use 72% Marseille Soap shavings
- Pour 3 tablespoons of flakes (shavings) into 2 liters of boiling water
- + essential oils of your choice or the Washing Formula already mentioned above
- Mix well
- It's ready! And it keeps for a relatively long time and easily.
Here are also some recipes for homemade fabric softeners:
1 - This recipe has a pH of 5.5 which is sufficient to remove limescale and soap residue and soften laundry.
The ingredients
- 1 2 liter bottle, large enough and strong enough.
- 500 ml of water
- 300 ml of white vinegar (to change the smell, you can put 2 large tablespoons of dried lavender in a liter of white vinegar, leave to marinate for 15 days to 3 weeks)
- 2 tablespoons of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of essential oil of your choice (lavandin, lavender, eucalyptus, orange, mandarin, lemon, mint or the Purifying Formula etc.) for fragrance (optional)
The method
- Dilute the bicarbonate in the water
- Add the vinegar carefully; be careful, it will foam and rise. This is why you need a 2-liter bottle for about a liter of preparation, so that it doesn't overflow.
- Add the essential oils.
- Turn the bottle upside down several times, the bottle will swell, this is normal, it is the vinegar/bicarbonate reaction that does this.
- Gently unscrew the cap to expel the air.
- The preparation is ready but I advise you to wait 24 hours so that the mixture stabilizes.
The use
- Shake the bottle thoroughly before each use.
- Put about 50/60 ml of fabric softener in the fabric softener compartment.
- Fabric softener is mainly made up of white vinegar and water. It can be stored for a very long time. The acidity of vinegar allows it to be preserved. White vinegar does not expire.
2 - Natural fabric softener recipe: (for 1/2 liter)
The ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda
- 2/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup of water
- 15 drops of our Washing Formula
- Once again, vinegar has the property of softening clothes!
3 - Fabric softener recipe (for washing machine or dryer sheets)
The ingredients
- 500 ml of white vinegar
- 500 ml of water
- 30 ml of vegetable glycerin
- Washing formula: 15 drops or 15 drops of your favorite essential oil or synergy.
- Optional: 100% cotton fabric (to make reusable dryer sheets)
The method
- In a large glass jar, combine white vinegar, water, and vegetable glycerin. If you're not making fabric softener wipes, pour all of these ingredients directly into a bottle.
- Add the essential oils of your choice to scent your homemade fabric softener.
- Stir and shake everything to mix all the ingredients well.
Dryer wipes
- Add a few pieces of 100% cotton fabric to your fabric softener mixture. Cut them into pieces about 13 cm x 20 cm (5'' x 7''). Strips of flannel or cotton jersey can also work, but they should still be 100% cotton.
The use
- For washing machines: Add 120 ml during the last rinse cycle of your machine. Pour it into the fabric softener compartment.
- For wipes: Wring out a wipe and simply place it in the dryer with your damp laundry.
Tips for even softer laundry : Use reusable dryer balls or clean tennis balls to soften laundry and speed up drying time.
To eliminate static electricity : Place a ball of aluminum foil in your dryer.
To dry synthetic fabrics or other clothes that attract static electricity, remove them from the dryer while they are still slightly damp and let them air dry. This will ensure your clothes are never wrinkled or static-charged.
For the wool dryer balls, can you put drops of essential oils on them? They disappear in the heat! Great idea: put a few drops on a ball for an extra 5 minutes of fresh air.
Don't forget The Purifier : a concentrate of diluted essential oils that can be sprayed on towels, carpets, and bed sheets to sanitize and kill dust mites, mold, and fungi, and is also useful for sports equipment.
The Purifier is a springtime favorite. A spray made with essential oils that kills all unwanted pests, with subtle aromas of lavender, eucalyptus, ho wood, and citrus that provide a soothing and refreshing effect, just like at a spa!
Use room fragrances for all sorts of reasons, spraying curtains, quilts & fabrics around you once they have been thoroughly washed.
You can leave some handmade soaps in the wardrobe and in the linen room, the towels and sheets will smell nice and fresh.
Open windows every day to change the air, when possible.
And if you feel like it and have the energy, you can always take on Sophie's 21-day challenge for a thorough cleaning .
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